The Greatest Warrior of All Time Returns-Chapter 427

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Chapter 427

The Mad King of Wind I had seen in the Labyrinth was, even by my standards, a rather troublesome existence.

Even with just its own pure power, it was already a monster that reached Grand Master level. Yet for some reason, it had been twisted and corrupted, and the aftereffects caused by that pure spiritual body—left with nothing but destructive instinct—far exceeded my expectations.

A Spirit King.

To be precise, I hadn’t known exactly what that King of Wind had been back then, but now I could clearly understand.

First of all, the lunatic causing this situation right now is a Spirit King.

And.

That Spirit King is undeniably an existence capable of wielding Grand Master–class power.

To be honest, I never really believed in the existence of a contractor of a Spirit King.

In the first place, forming a contract with a Spirit King borders on the impossible.

Unless the Spirit King itself were insane, there would be no reason for it to agree to such a contract, and no human could possibly endure one.

But.

I should acknowledge what needs to be acknowledged.

Right now, here, the Water Spirit King Elraim definitely exists.

The immense water energy enveloping the entire space.

This kind of territorial transformation was impossible unless it was the Water Spirit King Elraim.

More importantly, the reason this situation was urgent was not merely because a domain had been deployed.

This… I couldn’t analyze it perfectly yet, but judging by the flow, I could roughly grasp it.

A large-scale spirit mana siphoning formation.

The flow seemed to be stealing, in massive quantities, the spirit mana painstakingly accumulated over long periods by spiritists, not the spirits themselves.

“Something’s going wrong… Could this be what you were talking about…?”

“The current situation is more serious. Back then it was subtle enough to barely notice. This is outright theft.”

If what happened in the bamboo forest had merely been a spark to start an engine, then now it was as if the engine itself was being forced into full operation.

In situations like this, what would happen was simple.

“Ghk… urgh…”

“H-hey, stay conscious!”

Screams began to echo from all around as people started collapsing.

“Lord Algran! This is bad! Outside—!”

“I have seen the situation. Gather the high-ranking spiritists first and assess the circumstances!”

“Elder, I’ll gather information separately for now.”

“Would you do that?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Normally I would not trust just anyone… but Young Master Leon, you I can trust. Come to the main conference hall once things are organized.”

“Understood.”

Honestly, this was better than having people lingering around.

Without a word, I leapt out the window and activated magic.

But this mysterious space severely restricted the movement of mana and aura.

“Magic’s practically useless.”

Can a Spirit King really create a domain like this alone?

The only things that could still move properly were the Authority of Death, Thanatos… the pure white authority I had received from Eve… and finally, the power of the Outer Dimension.

Even the flow of spiritual energy, practically a fundamental particle, was being obstructed. Whoever did this had clearly prepared thoroughly.

The banquet hall was already filled with fallen spiritists and those trying desperately to support them and understand the situation.

Most of those here were young sprouts.

There were top-tier spiritists like Algran Tevne, but since the purpose of the banquet was exchange among the younger generation, the number of high-ranking spiritists was limited.

“Is the goal not just stealing power? Then what the hell is it hiding for in the middle of this?”

If simply taking power were the goal, it would make more sense to target the high-level spiritists among the organizers, not promising youngsters.

Of course, spiritists relied more on talent than effort, so the gap between top-tier and newcomers wasn’t infinitely vast.

But accumulating spirit mana was a different matter.

“Damn it! We’re trapped!”

“What is this?!”

Soon, I saw several people at the edge of the vast space pounding against an invisible wall, trying to escape.

Most had already collapsed.

Those still conscious were generally people confident in their abilities.

Lower-level spiritists had already fallen into exhaustion and lost consciousness.

“Hold on! If we endure long enough, they’ll break through from outside! Just hold out until then!”

A reasonable judgment… but.

I pressed my hand against the wall.

This was a barrier deliberately created by a Spirit King.

It wouldn’t break easily.

I drew my sword from subspace.

KAAANG!!!

“Efficiency’s terrible.”

Even with Grand Master–class strength, in a space enforcing specific conditions at an equivalent level, one couldn’t expect much efficiency.

The only things that might work somewhat were spirits themselves, but with Sur, Serqet, and Grivy’s current strength, directly opposing a Spirit King seemed difficult.

Still, I wasn’t without options.

At least one thing was certain.

The Water Spirit King Elraim hadn’t prepared perfectly for me.

“Serqet.”

The moment I called her name, an otter appeared on my shoulder.

“Poison Breath.”

At my command, the poison within Serqet, the same Heavenly-Ending Venom inheriting my own, reacted violently.

Compared to the poison gland inside my body it was weaker, but its very origin was a toxin that had once killed even ancient monsters.

A supreme poison capable of melting the sealed Hydra, its effectiveness was certain.

Serqet’s poisonous breath shot forward instantly, colliding with the intangible energy barrier and producing a huge ripple.

It works.

If I could just break a hole, I could pull those trapped inside out.

The once-solid barrier began to ripple and crack.

“I’m going to open a hole like this, what are you going to do about it?”

I muttered provocatively toward Elraim, whom I suspected to be behind all this, while feeding Serqet even more spirit mana.

Serqet, clearly excited, fired poison breath everywhere, slowly drilling through the barrier.

That was when—

SHWAAAAAA!!!

Massive streams of water charged toward me in an instant.

Sur shot out reflexively, spreading its wings above my head.

The moment it opened its mouth wide, a colorless shockwave burst outward in a fan shape.

KWAANG!!!

The incoming water streams collided with overwhelming heat, instantly turning into massive steam that swallowed the surroundings.

It was only for a moment, but the weakened barrier rapidly restored itself.

With interference from the Spirit King, breaking through would be difficult.

—There’s an intruder. I can’t just leave you alone.

A voice whispered into my ear.

At the same time, the space around me twisted.

“Hah… Right. This is exactly why I hate fighting Spirit Kings.”

Diffuse reflection through steam.

At a glance, the surroundings were visible, but more than half of what I saw was fake.

And the problem was that this wasn’t mere mana illusion, it used the elements themselves, making it difficult to distinguish instantly.

—Stay trapped in there.

With those words, water spirits began appearing around me.

At minimum Undines, and even multiple Nereids, high-ranking water spirits.

It was obvious they were determined to hold me down.

“Fine. Let’s do this.”

Even if I was restrained, it didn’t mean I couldn’t use power.

In one hand I held the ghost sword; in the other I forcibly mixed death mana and elemental mana to create repulsive force.

Then I applied that repulsive energy as an enchantment onto my blade.

[Enchant, Radiant-Dark Repulsion]

KWA-A-A-A-ANG!!!!

I drew out the extreme repulsive force between elemental and death mana, turned it into sword energy, sharpened it into aura, and released it.

With a single strike, numerous high-ranking spirits were swept away, but I clicked my tongue.

“Even if they’re subordinate spirits, you’re using them like this? Have you lost your mind?”

The efficiency was terrible, beyond bad.

Even a Spirit King couldn’t casually produce a situation like this.

Which meant Elraim had prepared here for a very long time.

—I wouldn’t recommend continuing that.

“What are you even saying, you crazy bitch?”

—The plan can’t fail. So just in case another power operated inside this space, I arranged things so the burden would fall on others instead.

What kind of insane reasoning is that?

I stared in disbelief.

Was this really the thinking of a spirit?

Not some evil ghost?

—Already, because of that sword strike you just used, five people are in severe exhaustion. They would have lasted longer otherwise, but thanks to you their condition got worse. Are you going to keep going?

…Damn.

If what Elraim said was true, then the only thing I could use here was spirit arts.

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Elraim had been meticulous.

Using spirit arts against a Spirit King was inefficient from the start.

And earlier, when Serqet sprayed poison, I had felt it, because of the hierarchy difference, whenever I used spirit arts my spirit mana was being siphoned away to her little by little, like osmotic pressure.

If only I had raised Grivy’s, Serqet’s, and Sur’s hierarchy…

Strength and hierarchy were separate matters.

All three, including Grivy, had low rank.

If Grivy had possessed Spirit King-level hierarchy—

No, even just top-tier would have been enough to break this quickly.

This was a failure of focus and investment.

I should have invested more in spirit arts.

I had neglected it because my spirits had already grown too strong.

After all, my enemy had been an Outer Dimensional monster, Yog, not a Spirit King.

—Then stay still. I won’t let you die.

You think you can provoke me and leave it at that?

Not happening.

“Who gave you permission?”

—What?

“You need the spirit mana of these spiritists, these newly blooming chicks, don’t you?”

—…

“And you’re just going to steal it? That won’t do. At least pay the price.”

I gathered energy in one hand.

Interference came, but fortunately this power didn’t cause massive repulsion like elemental or death mana.

[Sealing Art]

[Silent Seal]

—What… did you do?

“Temporary measure, but I sealed the spirit mana you absorbed so you can’t take it away.”

—You…!

A chilling storm of spirit mana surged around me.

“Got a complaint? Show yourself. Say it to my face instead of hiding.”

Being a Spirit King, she likely realized what would happen if she fought me head-on.

—Grit your teeth… we’ll see.

With those words, Elraim erased her presence as if fleeing.

At the same time, the surrounding light refractions intensified.

Inside the intangible barrier, a red haze obscured the outside.

It reminded me of the ruined world I always saw in the Labyrinth, the red moon staining the sky.

First things first, escape.

There was no way to raise Grivy’s and the others’ hierarchy immediately.

Could I raise it?

Maybe.

But even that wouldn’t be enough.

Grivy timidly tugged at my sleeve, looking gloomy.

“Father… am I useless?”

“Useless? Not at all. Here, Grivy is the one protecting me. Got it?”

Protecting my body wasn’t an issue, but those words alone were enough to reassure her.

“I’ll do my best!”

“Good. That’s my girl.”

I ruffled her head lightly, and she giggled before jumping into my arms.

Carrying Grivy, I began moving again.

Though many high-ranking water spirits had been swept away, Elraim must have been determined, more Nereids and Undines appeared again.

Without hesitation, I tossed Elekstra into subspace and said,

“Grivy. These are naughty friends. Let’s teach them a lesson.”

“Okay!”

With that, Grivy jumped from my arms and ran toward the powerful water spirits with tiny, energetic steps.

And—

KWA-A-A-A-ANG!!!!

With her small white hand, she slapped the nearest spirit.

The sound, of course, was anything but light.

* * *

Escaping the refractive space took quite some time.

I couldn’t help it, those damned chicks’ lives were held hostage, forcing me to suppress my power.

Still, it wasn’t without gain.

Though unstable, I had succeeded in sealing the intermediate channel so Elraim’s goal couldn’t be completed.

And I realized this incident involved not just Elraim, but another spirit as well.

I didn’t know which one yet.

How did I know?

“Well… saying it’s dangerous to keep me inside so they kicked me out…”

Because I now stood in a dense forest not far from the Spirit Corridor.

This time it wasn’t illusion through refraction, it was real.

Elraim judged me a variable and used the opening when I escaped to eject me outside the barrier entirely.

Could I go back in?

Sure.

But entering blindly now would be meaningless.

The Spirit Corridor was in complete chaos due to the sudden rampage of the Spirit King.

Thankfully, the influence didn’t reach outside the barrier.

Only the spiritists of the Corridor were desperately trying to break it.

“You’re back! How did you get out?!”

“No idea. Must’ve thought there were too many variables and kicked me out.”

“A Spirit King running away from you… figures…”

Rebecca laughed awkwardly.

“Mind explaining the situation?”

Luna, holding Elpiria in her arms, asked for details.

So I explained everything, from meeting Azure Star, Algran Tevne onward.

“They’re trapped inside and synchronized with the Spirit King.”

I could feel that instinctively.

My spirit arts were makeshift, mutant techniques adapted to me, but their roots weren’t entirely different.

“Brute force absolutely won’t work.”

“I agree.”

If the barrier were destroyed outright, everyone inside would likely dry up and die.

The students?

No chance.

Realistically only someone like Azure Star might survive.

“Got a plan?”

“Grivy, Sur, and Serqet need to fight Elraim for control. The moment a gap appears, I’ll redirect the power of this ridiculous ritual elsewhere.”

I already had a way to redirect it.

The key was the struggle for dominance.

But the problem was their hierarchy, none of them could currently contest a Spirit King.

“Same for other spiritists. Azure Star, right? The continent’s greatest spiritist. Still only capable of handling upper spirits.”

Not even top-tier spirits.

Just upper-tier, no match for a Spirit King.

After thinking, I recalled someone who might help.

“Who?”

“Isna. She’s probably experienced something like this before.”

“Ah… that’s possible. My memories are limited, but Isna has vast ones.”

If Elraim had done something similar in the Closed World—

Then there had to be a solution.

* * *

…Or so I thought.

“Elemental Law. The process was different, but yes, something similar happened once.”

“How was it solved?”

“You destroyed it by force. Abandoning everyone inside.”

I fell silent.

There had been no other way.

“You said back then that it was impossible to raise your contracted spirits enough to fight a Spirit King in such a short time. It was originally caused by a completely different reason. It wasn’t supposed to happen now.”

A result born from the butterfly effect.

There was no one to blame.

Leave it, everyone dies eventually.

Go extreme, everyone dies immediately.

Either way, the result was death.

In the Closed World, I had been more ruthless.

Maybe I chose to bloody my own hands before things worsened because there truly was no answer.

“If things are the same, and you really used sealing arts… then you probably bought some time.”

Originally a decision would have been forced within days.

Now maybe a week.

Even for a Spirit King, breaking that seal wouldn’t be easy.

But since it was cast imperfectly inside enemy territory, its duration wouldn’t last forever.

If only I’d trained more in sealing arts.

“What if I find Elraim and kill her?”

Restrictions existed, but it was possible.

Even if Elraim possessed Grand Master-level power, she was still essentially an embodiment of elemental origin.

A difficult fight.

And Elraim only needed to maintain the ritual, not fight.

“She’ll hide if she’s serious. Can you find her?”

“…Good point.”

As I muttered, she grabbed my hand.

“There’s only one method.”

“What?”

“I’m not certain. But it’s worth trying.”

“Which is?”

“That book you saw in the Primordial Dragon’s space. Maybe there’s a way to enhance it.”

The Book of Genesis was an object beyond ordinary logic.

Who knew if it might suddenly provide some absurd advantage?

“Right now there’s no established method. But if there’s even a small chance… I think that’s it.”

She also said her authority was ready for use.

And I had steadily gathered materials through protective and sharpening agents obtained while breaking weapons.

“No time. We move now.”

I stretched my hand into the air.

Outside the ritual space, magic was no longer restricted.

Space distorted, overlapping with the space between worlds.

Beyond the passage lay the scenery of the Sky Island R’lyue.

And unlike before, nothing blocked our entry into the Primordial Dragon’s ruins.

As if the Star Dragon Kos, having seen its child freed from its bindings, had completed its task.

Perhaps that Primordial Dragon had left power here not to guard the book, but to protect its offspring.

Or maybe freeing its child had been the condition required for someone strong enough to take the book.

[You may be able to secure and carry the Book of Genesis.]

I was thinking the same thing.

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